What does mandarin mean?
Mandarin most commonly refers to the principal group of Chinese language varieties and, in particular, the standard form taught to foreign learners and used for official communication in mainland China. In Putonghua, Mandarin distinguishes this officially promoted variety from Cantonese and other regional varieties. The word also has several historical and cultural senses. A mandarin was a high-ranking official in imperial China, and the modern figurative use can suggest a powerful, cultured, or influential government official. Mandarin also names a small sweet citrus fruit, a colourful duck species, and a close-fitting collar derived from traditional Chinese official dress. The bird was named for the resemblance of its ornate plumage to official robes. These senses reflect the word’s long association with China and its development from a title used for imperial officials into a widely used name for a language, fruit, bird, and clothing style.
Any member of the principal group of Sinitic Chinese varieties, especially the standard variety used in mainland China, Singapore, and Mandarin-language education.
"Their translator specialized in Mandarin and English."
Mandarin is generally used for the official standard variety when the term Putonghua is relevant; it should not be treated as a synonym for every variety of Chinese.
A high-ranking official in imperial China.
"The portrait depicts a mandarin of the Qing imperial bureaucracy."
This is chiefly a historical sense. In modern figurative use, the term can refer broadly to a powerful or influential government official.
A small, sweet citrus fruit with loose skin, also called a tangerine.
"She peeled a mandarin and shared the segments with her brother."
A duck with orange wing sails, a prominent crest, and distinctive multicoloured plumage.
"The pair of Mandarin ducks rested beside a flowering tree."
The regular plural is used for individual imperial Chinese officials and, in modern figurative usage, powerful officials. The language is normally uncountable.
"Two prominent mandarins attended the ceremonial audience."
The Mandarin duck earned its name because its colourful plumage was thought to resemble the elaborate robes worn by Chinese imperial officials.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mandarin come from?
English borrowed the word through Portuguese, from mandarim, a form of address used for a Chinese official. The Portuguese term ultimately derives from Sanskrit mantrī, meaning a teacher, adviser, or counsellor, through language of the Indian subcontinent used in European trade with Asia. Its original English sense was an official of high rank in imperial China, and the linguistic sense developed later as the name spread to the court language and then the standard variety of Chinese associated with the northern and central-speaking populations of China.
How mandarin is actually used
When referring specifically to the officially standardized variety of mainland China, the name Putonghua is often used. The historical sense naming an imperial Chinese official is now uncommon outside historical writing, although the modern word mandarin has a broader, sometimes derogatory sense meaning a powerful or influential official.
Easily confused with mandarin
Mandarin and Cantonese are distinct varieties of Chinese: Mandarin is the principal official language of mainland China, whereas Cantonese is chiefly associated with Hong Kong and southern Guangdong.
A mandarin is a Chinese official, language, fruit, duck, or collar style, while a mandolin is a stringed musical instrument.